LIC AAO exam-day guide
LIC AAO · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Print or download the call letter / admit card
The LIC AAO call letter is released on the official LIC portal a couple of weeks before the exam. Download it, print a clean copy, and check that the venue, reporting time, and shift match your application. If you cannot find it, confirm the download window and process with the provider rather than guessing.
Original photo ID matching the call letter
Carry the original of the ID you declared in the application (typically Aadhaar, PAN, passport, driving licence, voter ID, or similar government photo ID). Photocopies and digital copies are usually not accepted. The exact list of accepted IDs changes between notifications, so confirm with the provider.
Passport-size photograph
Keep two recent photographs matching the one pasted on the call letter. Some notifications ask for a photo to be affixed on the call letter and attestation by a gazetted officer; whether attestation is needed varies, so confirm with the provider.
Photocopy of the ID for submission
Many recruitment exams collect a self-attested copy of the photo ID at the desk. Carry one even if not explicitly demanded, and check the notification for the exact attestation requirement.
Transparent water bottle and simple pen
Carry a plain blue or black ballpoint pen for rough work and signatures. Only a transparent bottle is normally allowed. Do not carry a pencil case, scale, or any stationery beyond what the notification permits.
No electronic devices
Leave mobile phones, smartwatches, Bluetooth earbuds, calculators, and any wearable tech at home or with a companion. Most centres do not provide a safe storage facility, and possession inside the hall is treated as a serious violation.
Plan the route and reporting time
Check the venue a day earlier on a map, estimate travel time with traffic buffer, and arrive well before the reporting time printed on the call letter. Late entry is commonly refused once the gate closes; the exact cut-off is stated in the call letter.
Read the call letter instructions fully
The call letter carries the shift timing, gate closure time, prohibited items list, and COVID or other health instructions if applicable. Read it end to end rather than skimming.
Confirm the exam pattern and section timing
LIC AAO prelims has reasoning, quantitative aptitude, and English language sections with sectional timing; mains has reasoning, general knowledge, insurance and financial market awareness, and English. Confirm the current pattern and marking in the official notification, since it has changed across cycles.
Sleep and light revision the night before
Do not start a new topic. Review formula sheets, insurance terminology, and error logs. Aim for seven hours of sleep; fatigue costs more marks than one extra mock test.
Biometric and document verification readiness
Expect fingerprint or iris capture and document checks at the centre. Keep documents organised in one folder. If you have a disability requiring a scribe or extra time, confirm the approval process with the provider in advance.
Plan the day
Take at most two full-length mocks under real sectional timing, then spend more time analysing errors than attempting new papers. Revisit the insurance and financial awareness notes, banking terms, and current affairs of the last six months. Recheck the call letter download, print it, and assemble the document folder. Confirm travel arrangements and, if the centre is far, book accommodation near it.
Do a light revision of formula sheets, grammar rules, and your error log. Pack the folder: call letter, original ID, photocopy, photographs, pen, transparent bottle. Charge nothing you cannot carry in; leave the phone behind or plan to hand it to a companion. Set two alarms, confirm the venue location and gate closure time, and sleep early. Avoid heavy meals and last-minute mock tests that could dent confidence.
Eat a normal breakfast, carry the folder, and reach the venue at least 45 to 60 minutes before reporting time to absorb queue and verification delays. Use the washroom before entry. In the hall, complete biometric capture, locate your seat, and read the on-screen instructions carefully. Use the rough sheet for sectional strategy, not for re-deriving basics.
In prelims, protect the sectional cut-offs: clear the easier questions in each section first, skip time sinks, and keep an eye on the sectional clock. Attempt English in a tight block, reasoning with a puzzle-first or puzzle-last strategy depending on your strength, and quantitative aptitude with approximation and elimination. In mains, the insurance and financial awareness section rewards recall, so answer it quickly and bank the time for reasoning. Mark guesses only when negative marking is outweighed by the probability of being right, and reserve the last two minutes to check that every attempted answer is saved.
Rules to check
Carry only the original photo ID declared in the application; photocopies, expired IDs, and digital copies are generally rejected. Confirm the accepted ID list and any exemption with the provider.
Do not carry phones, smartwatches, Bluetooth devices, calculators, or study material into the exam hall. Possession, even switched off, is normally treated as unfair means and can lead to debarment.
Follow the gate closure time strictly. Candidates arriving after the cut-off are usually not allowed in, and no extra time is given for late arrival.
Breaks are generally not permitted during the test; use the washroom before entry. If you need a medical or comfort break, raise your hand and follow the invigilator's instruction, as the clock does not stop.
Do not communicate with other candidates, exchange material, or look at another screen. Any suspicion of malpractice can lead to cancellation of candidature and a ban from future exams.
Negative marking applies in the objective papers, typically one-fourth of the marks for a wrong answer; confirm the exact penalty and any sectional cut-offs in the current notification before the exam.
Sectional timing is enforced on screen; you cannot return to a section once its time ends. Plan the order of attempts accordingly.
Carry a printed call letter with a recent photograph affixed and signed as instructed. If the format or attestation requirement is unclear, confirm with the provider before exam day.